The Produce Safety Team is excited to launch their first Produce Safety Grower Trainings for Arkansas. Their first workshop will be held in Little Rock on November 7 at the C.A Vines 4-H Center. Five trainings are currently planned, but more will be scheduled in 2018. Visit www.uaex.edu/arkansas-produce-safety to learn about more about the federal requirements and to register for training.
The Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA, meant to strengthen safeguards in the U.S. food supply, has a new rule for produce growers and the Cooperative Extension Service will be helping Arkansas farmers obtain needed certification. The Cooperative Extension Service outreach is conducted under contract from the Arkansas Agriculture Department’s, whose overall education efforts are funded by a grant from the Food and Drug Administration to ensure farmers understand the new Produce Safety Rule requirements.
Training locations and dates are listed below. You must register to attend one of these workshops. Please visit their website for registration: www.uaex.edu/arkansas-produce-safety
A registration fee of $25.00 will be charge to cover meals, refreshments, and supplies. Training materials are provided through federal grant funding.
- Nov. 7: Central – Little Rock/Ferndale at C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center
- Dec. 6: Eastern – Forrest City at East Arkansas Community College
- Dec. 11: Northwest – Fayetteville at Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences
- Jan. 9: Southeast – Monticello at UA Monticello
- Jan. 16: Southwest – Hope at Southwest Research and Extension Center.
A survey is available to help producers and processors determine how their farms will be affected by the Produce Safety Rule. Visit the website to complete the survey or for more information about the Produce Safety Rule, www.uaex.edu/arkansas-produce-safety, or contact Dr. Philyaw Perez at aperez@uaex.edu